According to Archbishop William Skurla of the Byzantine Catholic Archdiocese of Pittsburgh, Pope Francis is more than familiar with the Eastern Catholic Churches. First, he was an altar boy at an Eastern Catholic Church near his home in Argentina. This is a surprising information knowing that the eastern liturgy is overly ritualistic and traditional, and since time immemorial the liturgy was celebrated ad orientem. These types of religious services must have made some impression and left vivid memories in heart and mind of the young altar boy Jorge Bergoglio.

In addition when the new pope was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was also appointed by John Paul II in 1998 as the Bishop of Argentina for the Faithful of the Eastern Rites. So, Francis is well-acquainted with many eastern rite bishops in the church. Most particularly, he is friends with the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who was formerly stationed in Buenos Aires. The Eastern Catholic Churches have married priests in the Eastern Hemisphere but have been fighting to lift an eight-decade ban on them in the New World, where in recent years they have been approved on a case-by-case basis. Francis is well acquainted with ancient liturgical beauty. Wouldn’t be amazing if Francis turns out to be a closeted traditionalist, and becomes a fervent proponent of the traditional liturgy? Oremus!

As a former Aliquippian it warms my heart to know of this pocket of Catholic orthodoxy. Most of Catholicism died under the misguidance and tyranny of bishop Wuerl.

Do you know if the Faith is also taught by the priest(s) of the Guild? And especially if the errors are exposed and put down? When I see Steubenville mentioned there is a concern about that. How often is the traditional Holy Mass offered there? Wife still has family there and it would be less burdensome for them than driving into Pittsburgh but in Carnegie they will know the truth and be given all that they need to save their souls. On the Northside they will have the Holy Mass but other than that I think they will be on their own as far as the errors go.

A public Low Mass is offered every Saturday at Franciscan University at 8am and a Missa Cantata is offered one a month on a Sunday. This was the schedule when I graduated in 2010. Fr. Gregory is a good and holy priest.

The TLM schedule at Franciscan University is currently Saturday's at noon, except one weekend a month when it's Sunday at 4pm. Schedule can be found here: (it's for 2012-2013 academic year, despite the title)http://www.franciscan.edu/ChapelMinistries/schedule/ExtraordinaryForm/

"It's a real reformation in many ways," said retired Bishop Donald Trautman, the former head of the Diocese of Erie, Pa., who was twice chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Liturgy and who fought recent Vatican-mandated changes that Latinized the English Mass.The Second Vatican Council's document on liturgy emphasized "noble simplicity," he said. "The Holy Father is living up to that directive."

Yes, for once Trautman hit the nail on the head NOBLE simplicity. It was a refreshing change that there was no offertory procession. That is certainly a first. Let's hope it is a permanent change and that the new Mass is of NOBLE simplicity without all the gaudy trimmings of clowns, balloons and what have you that have been attached to it SINCE Vat 2.

A Traditional Latin Mass in thanksgiving for the Pontificate of Benedict XVI was offered in Hamilton, New Zealand in the final week of Benedict's pontificate. Deo gratias for such a wonderful Pope. We pray that Pope Francis will walk in his shoes, particularly wearing the red shoes that are a symbol, I understand, that the Church was built on the martyrs and that he, Francis, is prepared to die for the Church